M is for Mate
by TKDP
Summary: Mickey and Snap are arguing, and Mickey is losing his feelings for her, but maybe there's another that loves him just as much...
1. M is for Me and You

**I'm back, and now that I know there will be a sequel to Survivors, I'm not going to write a chapter story for that fandom. But I would like to make a one shot for my favorite pairing. You'd be surprised, though, it's a strange one. Hope you like the story. I don't own Survivors, Erin Hunter does. BTW, this takes place after The Storm of Dogs. My song suggestion is Daylight: by Maroon 5. It's PERFECT.**

Moon's POV:

I sighed, sadly. These days off of pack duties were when I recounted my life. The pups were tussling with Storm, so I was unneeded, unwanted. My mate had loved me, but now he was dead. I was left with two pups, and no dog to father them. I was the peacemaking sort, but no dog seemed to need my help. It felt like no dog needed me since the pups had grown. Until I heard a cry.

"This is the third time this week you messed up the hunt!" screamed Snap.

"I was driving the rabbit towards _you,_ but you were paying no attention to me! As usual!" howled Mickey.

"You were supposed to turn the rabbit towards Bella!" defended Snap, "You are such an empty headed mongrel!"

Mickey growled, "If we're bringing in empty headed mongrels, what about the time you ate before Lucky, I mean, Beta!?"

"I told you he was done eating!" snarled Snap, "Oh, by the way, that same hunt you were supposed to hunt with me, but you never showed up!"

"Is it a crime that I got tired of your constant nagging!?" shouted Mickey, "And it's not like _you_ haven't missed a few patrols with me, but at least I'm decent enough to ignore it!"

"Well, we used to go on moonlit walks all the time, but now we never do, because you get so _busy_ you forget about me! So maybe I wanted you to feel what it was like walk alone!"

"Maybe it would be better if I felt that way more often!" barked Mickey, "Because I'm tired of seeing you!"

"Fine!" snarled Snap.

"Fine!" growled Mickey.

Maybe my peacemaking skills would come in handy now. "You two should settle down." I said in and understanding but firm voice.

"It's not like that, Moon." said Snap, with a sigh, "I think Mickey and I need some...time apart."

"I couldn't agree more." grumbled Mickey.

"That's the first time you've agreed with me since The Storm of Dogs!" snarled Snap.

"Because you're never right about anything!" snapped Mickey.

"I see." barked Snap, "If that's how you want to be, you can just go have your little patrol walks with _Moon_."

"Well…" said Mickey, softly, "Maybe I _will_."

My heart skipped a beat. Finally, I wouldn't be making my rounds alone.

Snap trotted off, clearly keeping her word about leaving Mickey to do him.

"So…" I said, "I'm going to be out patrolling tonight, you wanna join?"

Mickey sighed. "Do you think I should apologize to her?"

"Well…" I said, "How'd the argument start?"

"Well," started Mickey, "We were out hunting rabbits with Bella, and I saw a nice, juicy one. It was the fattest rabbit. I _wanted_ that rabbit. But, as you know, I'm no Sweet, I mean Alpha, and I couldn't catch up to the rabbit. So, I looked around to see who was nearby. There was Bella, but she already had a rabbit in her jaws. Then, I saw Snap. Snap hadn't successfully caught anything, and I didn't want Alpha to get mad at her, so I decided to let her kill this super-plump rabbit. I ran it her way, and barked at her to turn, but she couldn't hear me, and I was moving so fast I couldn't stop! I hurtled right into her, and the rabbit got away."

"That's it?" I asked.

"No." said Mickey, "We've been having little arguments for weeks. I think she's getting tired of me."

"Maybe a walk would make you feel better." I suggested, "Maybe it'd clear your head so you can make a decision."

"Yeah, you're probably right." said Mickey, "Shall we?"

"M-me?" I asked, "Yes! I mean, nobody's asked me to do something with them in forever! I mean, uh, I'd love to…"

Mickey smiled and I walked at his side.

We entered the forest, and started to talk. "So, what are the odds?" asked Mickey.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The odds that two dogs of the same breed could be in one wild pack!" said Mickey.

I started to laugh. He was right, it was strange. "I just…" I started.

"You just what?" asked Mickey.

"Um...I'm a little tired. Could we stop on that rock?" I asked, carefully dodging the question, "I'll...uh...tell you up there. We'll have a good view of the river from there. We could...watch for packs trying to steal our water."

Mickey nodded, ducking his silky head. We jumped up onto the large rock, and I had to catch my breath. It was gorgeous! The rock sparkled in the sunset, the sun dipping low under the tree line. The beauty of the Red Leaf leaves were incredible. The sky was a mixture of pink and gold, and every rock in the river glittered. The babbling brook shone with fish of every color of the rainbow, and the brook itself reflected rainbows from light. The gentle spray of water hitting rocks bubbled up into a spectacular white foam, and the waterfall cascaded over the larger rocks in a magnificent display of color; A rainbow wall.

"Woah." I whispered.

"Woah." whispered Mickey.

"It's beautiful." I whispered.

"You're beautiful." said Mickey.

"What?" I asked.

"I-I mean…" said Mickey, "Y-your fur looks good in the sunlight...yeah."

I smiled gently. "Thank you." I whispered, gently touching his nose with mine.

Mickey was completely caught off guard by my act of kindness, and he nearly stumbled off the rock. "Whoa!" he cried.

I giggled as I helped him up. "Smooth." I said, softly.

"So…" said Mickey, embarrased, "W-what were you gonna tell me?"

"Oh." I said, the grin dropping from my muzzle. How to put this in the right way… "Um, I was just saying, you mentioned us being the same breed, and I was wondering...if that's why I felt such a close connection to you."

Mickey looked slightly stunned, "Y-you feel a connection to me?!"

"Is that weird?" I asked, suddenly concerned.

"No!" shouted Mickey, "I mean," said Mickey, talking in a quieter voice when he saw me flinch, "I feel the same way."

My eyes almost popped out of my head. "You _do_?!" I asked.

"Yeah." said Mickey, "In a way I don't feel for Snap. Maybe it does have to do with breed."

"You know," I said, "I don't think it's that anymore." At that moment, I leaned in and gave him a long lick, right up and over the muzzle, before burying my face in his scruff.

Mickey gasped, "Moon! I-I had no idea!"

"I didn't either." I whispered, "That is, until I was here with you."

"But what about Fiery?" asked Mickey. I was hoping not to be confronted with that question.

"...He's dead, Mickey." I whispered.

"But you loved him!" cried Mickey.

"Is it impossible to love another?" I asked.

"B-but…" said Mickey.

"If Fiery were alive, he'd want me to be happy." I said, "He wouldn't want me to waste away thinking of him. He'd want me to _follow my heart_."

"Y-you really feel that way?" asked Mickey, "You really feel that way _about me_?"

"Yes." I whispered, "I can feel it in my marrow."

"What should I tell Snap?" asked Mickey.

Oh yeah. Snap. Drat! "Well…" I said, "Do you still like her?"

Mickey gave a long pause, one in which I was holding my breath. "No." said Mickey, "Not anymore."

I smiled and released a breath. "That's a relief." I said, "This would be awkward if you still had feelings for her."

He nibbled my ear, and I rubbed my nose against his scruff. "But we hardly know each other." said Mickey, "Tell me about yourself."

"Oh!" I said, "What do you want to know?"

"What about your family?" asked Mickey, "Who were your parents?"

"Oh." I said, "My mother and father dogs were Alpha and Beta of another pack, along with my sister, Star. Actually, Snap, Mulch, and Whine all came from my pack. We were close…"

"Wait." said Mickey, "Before you continue, I really hope this doesn't wreck your friendship with Snap. I don't want to come between you and her."

"It's...fine." I said, "Shall I continue?"

"Please." said Mickey.

"Anyway," I continued, "I was supposed to be the mate of a dog known as Hunter, who was big, strong, and handsome. But he wasn't loyal. He only cared about himself, not his pack." Mickey looked stunned that a dog could break pack law, and I nodded sadly. "Anyway, there was a disease spread in my pack, and it killed my sister, then my mother, then my father, and Hunter ran away to save himself. But we had just joined with our current pack, and Fiery would come over and tend to me, when I eventually caught the sickness. He saved my life, and I loved him. Then...we had the pups." Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes. "Oh, Mickey!" I cried, "I'm all alone! Fiery's dead! My pups have only me! I-I have no one!"

Mickey's POV;

"I have no one!" cried Moon.

"No." I said, softly. "You have me." I stared at Moon for a long time. She'd lost her parents, her sister, one of her pups, and now her mate. How could I have the nerve to think losing my Long-paw was such a big deal, when she had lost her whole family! "I promise I will never leave you." I said, the word spilling out of my mouth, each one true. "Even if the Long-paws come back, I won't go with them! I'll stay with you! I love you, Moon! I'll be the father your pups deserve! I'll be the mate you deserve! You deserve more than any dog on the Earth-dog! _Any dog_!"

Tears spilled down Moon's face at my kind words. "Mickey!" she begged, "Keep your promise! Never leave me! I love you _so, so_ much!"

She cuddled closer to me, and nuzzled her head under mine. I rested my chin on her head, and pulled a paw in front of her underbelly, touching one of her paws. "I promise." I said.

Suddenly, Moon giggled.

"What is it, my dear?" I asked.

"I was just thinking," said Moon, "Wouldn't it be funny, that if we had pups in the wild, they'd be purebred. When does that happen?"

"Right now." I said.

 **Aww! That was fun to write! Yes, I really** _ **do**_ **ship these two. I'll give you my reasons in a moment. You should know I was introduced to the character Moon before Fiery, so I didn't know they were mates. So, when I heard of her, I immediately shipped her with Mickey. I still ship them, and had to write a Moonicky story. Here's my reasons for shipping them:**

 **BOTH THEIR NAMES START WITH "M"! For Pete's sake!**

 **THEY ARE THE SAME BREED! Seriously, the odds of that happening are low, but the author made it happen, and they should've been mates.**

 **So, I hope you liked this story, and I hope it wasn't too weird for you! I might write another Moonicky one-shot, but for now, this is it. I will always ship them, even though I'm pretty sure it'll never happen. Hope I've done the Survivor's archives proud! ADD SOME STORIES, PEOPLE! THIS ARCHIVE IS SO SMALL! It's not right. It deserves more. I hope I convinced some of you to ship Moonicky! No hate, even if you ship Mickey and Snap/Moon and Fiery. Only nice**

 **reviews, please! Bye!**


	2. M is for Magnamious

**Whoa! I can't believe it! I'm ACTUALLY coming back for this fic! XD! Well, I guess inspiration just works in strange ways, doesn't it? Actually, I've been thinking about this story for a while. I left the ending too open, didn't I? Well, I'm officially making this a chapter story that I will update, well, whenever I get inspiration. I'm more devoted to my Mighty Med stories, but I know some of you (like Briarfrost) REALLY love Moonicky and probably want to read more about them. I've got a lot of ideas now, and I'm ready to make this a story taking you through the lives of Moon and Mickey, and all that they will encounter together. :D! Now to respond to reviews!**

 **TakeThePRNDL: Well, I already gave you the gist, and thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed! Hopefully by now you've checked out the books! If you have, did you enjoy? Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Guest: Aww, thanks! And as you can now tell, I am! Thanks for the review!**

 **Briarfrost: I'm glad you enjoyed so much! They are totally my OTP of Survivors, too! Meh, I don't ship them, (I prefer Lucky/Sweet) but it isn't odd. I mean, Snap and Lucky do lots together, too. Thanks for the kind review!**

 **Emberstar11: I'm glad! I do, too! I ship both, just Moonicky more. XD! Thanks for the review!**

 **Bump a bump: Well, you clearly don't appreciate the work I put into this fic…you know, just because you don't enjoy it, doesn't mean you have to make a comment on me as a person. You don't even KNOW me. :(. Oh, by the way, ever heard of OOC? Or AU? Yeah, I thought so. If you think all fanfics follow the original plotline, you know nothing about fanfiction.**

 **Fan fic fanatic: Aww, thanks hon. It's nice to know there's people who defend others from haters. :)! I'm glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the review!**

 **Wow! That was a lot! I was surprised, when I started this fic, I thought it wouldn't get any reviews! XD! Well, anyway, you've waited long enough, here's chapter 2! (Also, from here on out, I recommend the song 'Little Do You Know': by Alex and Sierra, and You Can Come To Me: by Austin and Ally.)**

Moon smiled, as Thorn and Beatle ran back from the forest. They had dragged between them a pretty fair catch, and the rest of the hunters carried the rest of the kill. There were three plump rabbits, five or so squirrels, half a dozen voles, and a nice, admittedly small, turkey. Oh well, turkey meat tasted good, no matter how large. Moon raised her head with pride, blessed to have two lovely pups who had the skill to help bring down all this kill.

"Bless the Moon-Dog." She whispered.

"What was that?" asked Mickey, who was sitting beside her, before he licked her ear affectionately.

"Thanking the Moon-Dog for my pups." Said Moon, softly, "And for you. Plus, I'm going to need all the luck of the Sky Dogs with the news we're delivering."

Mickey smiled, and nodded, as the pups approached. "Pups, I have something to discuss with you." Said Moon, before turning to Mickey, "Actually, _we_ have something to discuss with you."

Thorn trembled, nervously. "Is it about us not catching the beaver? We're sorry! It was too fast, and got into its water-den before we could catch it!"

Mickey smiled, and gently licked Thorn's nose, consolingly. "No, no. That isn't what we're discussing. Sometimes bad things happen, but it's important to move on." He shot a knowing look at Moon, before Moon nodded her elegant snout.

"Pups, after much discussion…" started Moon.

"And much planning for the new arrangement…" continued Mickey.

"Well…" continued Moon, before pausing. "Wow, I never realized it would be this hard to tell you…"

"Tell us what, mother?" asked Beatle.

"Pups, Mickey and I are…mates." Moon finished, practically spitting out the last word.

"WHAT!?" screamed both Beatle and Thorn, before talking at once.

"How could you?"

"I thought you'd never love another!"

"You're replacing dad!"

"Do our feelings even matter to you?!"

As the pups shouted, Moon was shrinking lower and lower towards the ground, her belly hairs grazing the dirt.

"Now that's enough!" shouted Mickey, suddenly. "Your mother has been through so much, have some understanding!"

"You can't tell us what to do!" snapped Thorn.

"You aren't our dad!" snarled Beatle, "and you never will be!"

With that, both Beatle and Thorn took off into the forest, leaving a weeping Moon, and an open-jawed Mickey.

Suddenly, Snap approached. "Mickey…is it true?" asked Snap, "Are we really finished?"

Mickey took a deep breath. "Yes, Snap. It's over. Trust me, you're a great dog, but it seems we have grown apart. I just need time for…another dog, okay?"

"No, not time." Said Snap, "By the looks of it, the rest of your life. And you're just casting me aside." Then _she_ charged off in a different direction than the pups into the forest.

Little did they know, someone else was listening in on their little conversation…

 **In the woods:**

Thorn sobbed, quietly, and nuzzled her nose into Beatle's heaving sides. "M-mom is replacing dad!" she sobbed.

"I kn-know." Beatle sniffled. "She p-probably doesn't love u-us anymore…"

Suddenly, the two heard a crashing in the thicket behind them, and they jumped in surprise. Suddenly, a fierce dog crashed through the brush, looking angry. Both the pups shrieked, as the fierce dog skidded to a halt.

Wait! That was no ordinary fierce dog! (Not that any were ordinary) This one had a kind look in her eyes! This one had two floppy ears, one torn! It was Storm!

"Storm!" they both howled, happily, jumping to their paws. But Storm didn't look like she was in the mood.

"What are you two doing here?!" she snapped.

"We were-" started Beatle, but Storm didn't let him finish.

"I saw what happened, and you two should be ashamed of yourselves!" she continued.

Thorn puffed out her chest, and yapped, angrily, "No! Mom's replacing dad! We have every right to be angry!"

Storm gave Thorn a hard nudge, causing her to fall back on her rump. He yelped in surprise, as Storm snorted, angrily. "No. You're wrong. I may not be too keen on love, but I _do_ know that every dog deserves the right to be happy. You want your mom to be happy, don't you?" Neither of the pups would meet her eyes. "Or maybe you want her to wallow in misery for the rest of her life over the loss of her mate." Now the two pups ducked their heads, in shame. What Storm said made sense… "If anyone knows Mickey, it's me. He raised me with Lucky. He'd make a _good_ father, if you gave him a chance!"

At this, Thorn stood up again, and started barking. "He will never be our father! Fiery is our father, and always will be!"

Storm rolled her eyes, and muttered to herself, "No wonder Moon still calls you pups, you certainly act like them!"

Thorn snorted, as Storm continued. "You don't need to forget about Fiery, but let Mickey into your hearts, too! You should do it, for your mom."

Now Beatle was starting to look a little willing. After all, he was the one who had been following Lucky around, in need of a male role model, but Thorn still looked reluctant.

"Thorn, what are you most afraid of?" asked Storm, softly, letting herself calm down.

"Mom forgetting about dad…" said Thorn, softly.

Storm chuckled, softly. " _That's_ what you're worried about? Just because Fiery passed on doesn't mean Moon loves him any less. It just means…a dog like Moon has enough love to share with someone else. You should be proud of her."

Thorn gave a tiny grin at the thought of her brave, strong mother. "I guess…"

"You will never forget him, but maybe you'd like someone to be there for you. To play with you when I'm hunting, and to love and care about you?" said Storm, softly. She knew that when her mother, Morningstar, died, she thought she'd never have space in her own heart for anyone but her litter-brothers. But Luck-and Mickey-had shown her otherwise. Now she had space in her heart for an entire pack, and she couldn't be happier!

"I guess we could…give it a try." Said Thorn, softly.

Storm grinned. "That's the spirit. Now maybe you two should go back and apologize to your mom."

Thorn and Beatle nodded, as they ran back to the pack.

 **Meanwhile:**

Twitch limped towards a stream in the woods, where he heard a trickling sound that he was almost certain wasn't from the waterfall. It was true, in fact, for he saw a dog there, crying her heart out.

"Snap?" asked Twitch, softly, as he approached.

"Oh, h-hi Twitch." Said Snap, softly, as she looked away, not wanting the other dog to see her tears.

"What's wrong?" he asked, softly, as he moved to sit beside her.

"Oh, you wouldn't understand." Said Snap.

"Try me." Teased Twitch, turning so he could look the hunter in the eyes.

Snap held her composure for about two minutes before breaking down. "Oh Twitch!" sobbed Snap, "Moon has taken Mickey from me! They are mates now."

Twitch looked surprised, and oddly enough, slightly happy. "They are?! I mean, they are?"

Snap nodded, solemnly. "But," asked Twitch, "Wasn't it you who wanted a break from him?"

"A break." Said Snap, " _Just_ a break."

Twitch frowned. "But…do you _really_ love him?" asked Twitch, sounding almost hurt.

"Yes!" cried Snap, but she was forced to rethink that when Twitch looked at her with those large, caring, brown eyes… "I mean, I think so…"

Twitch grinned, and licked her cheek, playfully. "You don't sound too sure of that."

"Well…" said Snap. She was beginning to realize that her rage was more from being replaced so quickly than from regret. "I guess, well I'm just, it's…confusing." She stuttered.

"I understand." Said Twitch, nuzzling her. "Well, if you ever need anyone to talk to about it, you can come to me." He started to turn to leave, before Snap called him back.

"Wait!" she cried.

Twitch turned. "Yes?"

"I actually have a question." Said Snap.

"I'm all ears." Said Twitch, cocking an ear at her, and moving to sit beside her again.

"Why are you so kind to Moon, when clearly your pack hates her?" asked Snap. She wasn't sure why, but she was curious.

Twitch sighed. He knew his pack was very angry at Moon for considering herself lead hunter when Twitch actually was, to balance the power. "Because I don't see a point to arguing. Moon _is_ a better patrol, and I'd step down the position if it wouldn't make me look weak to my pack. Plus, some of my previous pack mates are hunters now, making them higher ranking than me. And _they_ aren't stepping down, so what's the point?"

"Speaking of your pack, I, uh, missed you, when you were gone." Said Snap, wondering why she just said that.

"Oh really?" teased Twitch, a smile on his face.

"Yeah!" cried Snap, letting her tongue loll, playfully. "You're the kindest dog I know!"

"Really?" asked Twitch, his tail wagging.

"Yeah." Said Snap, now more serious, looking deep into his eyes. "One more question. Why are you so nice…to me?"

"Because I care about you, and I always want to be there for you." Said Twitch, honestly.

Snap grinned, and licked Twitch's ear. "Well, if being there for me was the job, than you're certainly accomplishing it." She smiled.

To Twitch's utter surprise, the ear licking didn't stop. In fact, it escalated. Soon, Snap was licking along the side of his muzzle. Not that Twitch was complaining, he honestly had been interested in Snap for a long time.

"Oh Snap…" he whined, softly, as he started jumping around her, licking her forehead and ears.

She laughed, and the next time he jumped up, she licked his belly. He barked, happily, and the two started play-wrestling, and the rest was history.

 **Later:**

Beatle and Thorn ran back to their mother dog, barking at once, again.

"We're sorry!"

"We didn't mean to hurt you!"

"We'll give Mickey a chance, if it means your happiness!"

Moon laughed, softly, and licked both her pups' ears. "Slow down, slow down. One at a time."

Thorn took a deep breath and continued. "We're sorry, mom. We should've given your happiness more thought."

"Yes! We didn't mean what we said!" cried Beatle.

Moon smiled. "In that case, I forgive you. Remember, I would never replace you, or Fiery. Now, I just have room in my heart for another, that's all."

The two pups smiled, and from somewhere in the pack's territory, Storm winked at them. "We know!" they said, simultaneously.

"Good." Said Moon, "Now, there's someone you should be having a much-needed conversation with." Mickey suddenly approached, with an almost guilty smile.

"Hi pups, I'm sorry for springing this on you, it's just…" he looked at his mate, and placed his paw on hers, "I feel in love with your mother, and I just couldn't let the spark die out, so I just had to-" He was interrupted by the pups springing on him, and rolling around in the grass, play-wrestling with him. He let out a sigh of relief, as he joined in.

Moon smiled, and left them to their conversation.

After they played, Mickey stood up, and shook the grass out of his fur. "Pups, on the night I went out with your mom, I made myself a promise. To never let anything happen to you, or her. To never leave you. To be the father you deserve, and the mate your mom deserves. And that hasn't, and will never, change."

The pups teared up, in an odd sense of pride, for their new father. "Mom's lucky to have you…" Beatle said, softly.

Mickey smiled, and licked his ear. "I'm glad you think so."

"I think so, too!" said Thorn, surprisingly longing for his approval. Maybe she really did want a father figure in her life…

Mickey smiled, and licked her, too, and soon they were all rolling around, licking each other.

Suddenly, Moon came running in, looking very distressed.

"What is it, Moon?!" asked Mickey, concerned. "Are the fierce dogs back?! Do we have to move territory?!"

"No!" cried Moon, shooting a glance at her belly, "I'm pregnant!"

 **Whoa! Twist! I REALLY wanted Moon and Mickey to have puppies, so that's what I did! :)! Briarfrost gave me the idea. Let's just say, things are going to get very exciting! Did any of you read the new Survivors book?! I LOVED it! Well, I decided to make an extra-long chapter, to apologize for not updating regularly. Until next chapter, bye!**


	3. M is for Misery

**Hey! I'm back! I got a lot of reviews, so that convinced me to give you an early chapter. Also, I've been REALLY wanting to make this chapter, because of the excitement! Okay, review response time.**

 **Fan fic fanatic: (2 reviews) I know! That book was great! Aww, thanks! You're too sweet! And I whole-heartedly agree. Don't listen to Bump a Bump, you're ANYTHING but mean! Thanks for the review!**

 **Bump a Bump: (MANY reviews…) If you're gonna keep spamming me, I suggest you stop reviewing. And I don't think ANYONE'S mean. You're mean, because of the hurtful things you're saying to me. Seriously, how would you feel if your mom, or grandma saw this stuff. Also, this isn't a cat section, so stop posting random stuff about songs you come up with. While funny, it wasn't even original compared to all the Nicki Minaj stuff. I'm a girl, if you must know, it says so on my profile. And, a not to Fichana, you put up with this stuff? REALLY?**

 **Fichana: Did you just here yourself? Stop standing up for each other? Seriously? GROW. UP. That is by far the most immature thing I've EVER heard ANYONE say, and I've been putting up with Bump a Bump. Leave. Me. Alone.**

 **ToyloverteamTTL: Aww, that's so sweet! I'm glad. You're so nice. I wish SOME PEOPLE could be as nice as you guys. :)! Thanks for the review!**

 **Polar pop: I know! Yeah, I figured the pups deserved a father figure! Sweet! So am I! Thanks for the review!**

 **Pindana: Umm…okay? You mean, like Minecraft? I don't play that game, but good for you! Thanks for the review!**

 **Mc doge girl: Thank you! Yeah, I never expected to have so many! Aww, those are nice people. Stay friends with them! Well, I'm sorry about that. Is there anyone you could report him to, because he's getting on my last nerve. Seriously. But thanks for the review! It's nice people like you that make me keep the story going!**

 **Snowfall: I'd love to! OCs rock! Okay, I may need to add some life details, but I'd love to add Endstone to the pack! Thanks for the review!**

 **Wow! That was a lot. But I still have some more to say. To Fichana and Bump a bump. Stop being haters. You need to learn that words have REAL effects on people. Do you think I'm just sitting here, reading what you have to say, and being like, "Oh, how nice!" No. The answer is no. And I don't appreciate it. Didn't anyone teach you that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?! And a note to Mc doge girl, Polar pop, fan fic fanatic, and ToyloverteamTTL: Never become haters. Mc doge girl, never do what your bro is doing. You are a great person, and I very much appreciate your kind words.**

 **Just so you know, there'll be many OCs in this chapter, so if you don't recognize some of the dogs, they're either by me, Snowfall, or my friend TeamTLKandBaltoCrew. They also might be a nod to other books/TV shows I watch (mostly on Disney.) Okay, that's all I have to say, here's your next chapter!**

Beetle and Thorn froze in shock. Mickey, on the other hand, ran straight to his mate. "Moon!" he cried, "Are you okay?! I mean, are you sure? I mean…really?"

"Yes." said Moon, "I was curious after our night on the rocks, but now I'm sure."

"Mom, what's happening?!" asked Beetle, in shock.

"Beetle…" said Moon, "Well, um, you're going to be a brother."

"I already am a brother." Said Beetle. "To Thorn."

"Well, now you're going to be a brother to more pups."

"Ooh, puppies?!" squealed Thorn, who secretly wanted to have a mate of her own one day.

Moon smiled. "Yes, dear, puppies."

"When?" asked Beetle, "When will we see the puppies?"

Moon looked into Mickey's eyes, and said with dead seriousness, "Soon, very soon."

Mickey's mouth dropped. "O-our puppies? But, I-I'm not sure, I mean, I haven't spoken to, I mean…are we ready? This is a big step!"

Moon sighed, and licked her mate's ear. "We can do this together, my love."

Mickey sighed, and licked Moon's jaw. "I will always be by your side."

Moon smiled, and nodded. "There's a lot we must do. First, we need to tell Alpha. And then, we need to talk to some dogs. We might be needing some help."

Mickey nodded, dutifully, and pressed against Moon's flank, to aid her in walking. "We should go now. Beetle, Thorn, explain everything to Storm." He figured a fierce dog would be good for protecting the pups, should there be an emergency.

Thorn and Beetle nodded, as they raced into the fields to find their friend. Meanwhile, Moon and Mickey headed into the pack's resting area.

Their new territory was bigger and better than ever. They needed more space, because they had gained dogs in their pack, other survivors of the storm. Some of these dogs included Blizzard, (sly, friendly, and courageous red and white muscular husky with blue eyes and a blue tail tip) Blaze, (adventurous, carefree, and kind twin brother of Blizzard with a red tail tip, and orange eyes) Stan, (white husky/shepherd mix with brown and black spots) Axel, Blix, and Chaser (triplet Husky pups who'd lost their mom) and Bandit (Fierce and aggressive, yet loyal German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix). The new territory was located on a rocky mountainside, with some rocks forming caves. The higher dens signified high status.

Now that the territory was so much larger, there were separate dens for certain hunters and patrols, instead of one den for a whole ranking. Poor Omega slept in a humble log at the base of the mountain. Moon slept, alone, (after all, her pups were too old to sleep with their mom now) in an outcropping, that was fairly nice. (Not as great as a hunter or scout's den, but nice.) There was a rock bottom, with sparse moss as a bed. Moss hung between two large rocks leaning against each other, to form a roof that could partially keep out the rain.

Alpha and Beta's den was at the top of the mountain. In the massive new den, they had a rich, luxurious bed, made of moss, pine needles, flower petals, and small twigs. Atop the plush interior, was a large deer's pelt, made warm by the sun, streaming in from the entrance to the den. Absolutely no rain got into the den, and there were old bones for chewing stored in a corner. The den reached deep into the warm depths of the mountain, giving them infinite space. Moon grinned. Lucky deserved to live in a den like that, not to mention Alpha, who was due for her pups soon.

Speaking of pups, Moon suddenly felt a kick to her stomach, as her and Mickey walked up the mountain on an old trail carved by longpaws, and yowled. She let herself lay down on the trail, panting heavily, as Mickey licked her side. Moon stood up, determinedly, gritting her teeth and walked on.

She passed a den of a mated pair, a white, female husky and a brown, male German shepherd names Boji and Fang. _Nice dogs,_ she thought to herself, as she passed. A part of her hoped Alpha would allow her and Mickey to share a couple's den, too. Maybe the higher ranking patrols could take her den, the lower rankings move into the empty dens, and Sunshine-err, Omega- would have a nice place to sleep for the night!

So far, only mates and siblings shared dens, because the pack had so much space. But anyway, Moon was hoping to share a den room instead of having to stay in a secluded nursery. She didn't want to be without Mickey!

"We're here, Moon." Said Mickey, softly. Moon shook her head, to clear it. She must've been very lost in her thoughts!

As they entered the den, they noticed something strange. Namely, the whole pack was there, fighting!

"Moon thinks she's the leader of the patrols!" snarled Splash, "But she isn't! Twitch is!"

 _Where IS Twitch?_ Moon couldn't help but wonder, _I don't see him…_

"She doesn't even deserve to be a patrol!" snapped Rake. "She should be _Omega_."

Sunshine whimpered, but didn't speak up.

"She wants to take over the pack! She thinks she's better than Alpha!" howled Woody, as Mickey finally snapped.

"QUIET!" the Border collie yowled, causing all heads to turn, and all muzzles to clamp shut. "Quiet, all of you!"

Woody opened his mouth in protest, as Mickey added, "And you would do well to think over your words, Woody, I'm higher ranking than you." Woody thought better of his words, and closed his mouth.

"Where did this all begin?" asked a silky voice, entering behind Moon. All heads turned to Boji, the pack healer, who had an unnatural understanding of nature that lead her to be highly respected. (She was one rank under Beta!)

"Food was discovered in front of Moon's den." Barked Breeze. "She's been hoarding!"

"Enough!" snapped Fang. No one argued with the strong, fast, and bad-tempered German shepherd. "Let my mate think for herself! No false accusations!"

"But it isn't fal-" started Breeze, when, to her surprise, Fang pressed a paw down on her muzzle. "Shush!"

"Now, we all know Moon is a good dog." Murmured Boji, in her even-tempered voice, as everyone from Alpha's original pack nodded. "She would never try to take over the pack."

"Still, we need to consider the case." Said Alpha, softly, "Moon, we've seen their proof, do you have any proof against this?"

Moon was at a total loss for words, and all she could do was tuck her tail. "N-no, Alpha, I don't. I don't even know what they're talking about!"

"Yes you do, you thief!" snarled Chase.

"Will you be quiet!?" snarled Blizzard, "We know Moon's innocent!"

"How can you be so sure?" snapped Ruff, "You have hardly been here for a turn of the moon dog!"

"I can sense goodness in her, as can my twin." Murmured Blaze.

Moon was touched by their kind words, but Alpha was unconvinced. "Even so, if Moon can't provide evidence against the proof, disciplinary action must be took." Moon whimpered, and hid her face. "You are to report to the High Watches from the crack of dawn to dusk." Stan gasped, in shock. He hadn't been around long, but he knew the High Watches were a terrible part of the mountains around the territory, where the wind blew hard, and when it rained, dogs were battered and soaked. "You will eat last, and report to Omega's den. Omega, or should I say, Sunshine, you move up in rank, until Moon proves her worthiness."

"But Alpha!" started Moon.

"Silence, Omega!" Alpha snapped, "That's enough from you. Now report to the High Watches, or you won't have earned a meal!"

"But I'm-"

"LEAVE!" thundered Alpha, turning away.

Moon turned, and without another word, left. But her thoughts were in a turmoil. She went from being happy, and hoping for a new den, to being Omega in ten minutes! Her eyes widened. What if she gave birth on the High Watches? What if the pup was blown off? She shook her head. She would just have to hope Mickey would be able to find proof of her innocence, with the help of their friends.

 **Meanwhile…**

"We need to find a way to prove Moon's innocence." Mickey said, walking up and down his line of supporters. Among them were Boji, Fang, Blaze, Blizzard, Stan, Beetle, Thorn, Storm, Bella, and Arrow.

"We know Moon's innocent!" cried Storm, "This is not fair! She's pregnant!"

The assembled dogs gasped, and turned to Mickey. Mickey sighed. "It's true. And I'm so worried about her up on the High Watches. We need to find proof NOW before she gives birth!"

The dogs nodded, and quickly turned tail and ran to Moon's den. That was the first place to find clues…

 **Meanwhile…**

Moon sighed, as she was climbing the mountain to the High Watches. Things weren't looking up for her…

"Moon?" asked a dog, she encountered.

"Ahh!" Moon jumped, in surprise. She'd been awfully lost in her thoughts, lately…

"I-I mean, Omega?" the dog said, more nervously.

Moon looked up, and grinned it was her friend, Endstone, a black and gold newbie-hunter. Standing beside her, was her friend Bandit, who had apparently once lived with a longpaw named 'Jordan' but was still incredibly tough and fierce. It shouldn't have been a surprise to see them, though. As two of the strongest dogs in the pack, they were known for hunting on the High Watches, where they could handle the winds.

"O-oh, hello, Bandit and Endstone!" said Moon, dropping her head, submissively.

"Oh, no need for that." Said Endstone, as kind as ever. "Alpha isn't around. And you aren't our _real_ Omega."

"Yeah, that scrawny little runt 'Sunshine' is." Grumbled Bandit.

Endstone shouldered Bandit. "Sunshine is a very nice dog, you shouldn't speak that way about her!"

Bandit rolled her eyes, and turned to Moon. "You need some company up on the High Watches?" Besides Endstone, Moon was one of Bandit's few friends. Though it was rumored she had her eyes on Bruno…

Moon sighed. "No, I need some time to think."

Bandit nodded, respectfully. "Whatever you say. But you can always bark if you want us."

Moon nodded, gratefully. "I'll make a note of that."

Soon, Bandit and Endstone were running off, tracing a rabbit-trail. Moon sighed, and went up to the High Watches, where she sat, and thought.

 _How am I going to feed my pups, if I eat last?_ Wondered Moon, _How will they be strong and healthy?_

 **Later…**

Moon sighed, and shuffled into the dining cave, where food would be distributed. There were some unusual differences, though. When Moon was gone, Twitch was promoted to Third Dog (one rank above Boji) but that wasn't the strange thing. He was sitting very close to Snap. This would make sense regarding that Snap is fifth in command and Twitch is third, but the strange thing was how…"friendly" they were being. Twitch kept nuzzling Snap's cheek, and Snap was licking the deer blood off Twitch's muzzle.

 _When did they become mates?_ Wondered Moon. That's when she remembered neither one was at the meeting determining Moon's rank. Moon quickly walked over to Mickey, but with a growl from Alpha, she layed down at the cold, damp entrance to the den.

After them and Boji, Bruno and Bandit (Sixth and Seventh in commands) ate. Bruno was trying to get Bandit to share a game bird with him, but she bit his tail, and turned away. But Moon could practically sense the blush under her fur…

From then on, prey was distributed in the usual order. The hunters, Fang, Endstone, Bella, Mickey, Blaze, Blizzard, Storm, and Arrow. Then, the scouts. Stan, Woody, Daisy, and Rake. After them, the pups, Axel, Blix, and Chaser. (Thorn and Beetle no longer qualified as pups.) Then, the patrols. Dart, Breeze, Chase, Beetle, Thorn, and Ruff.

Finally, it came down to Sunshine and Moon. Moon looked at the prey pile, and was pleased to see a mouse and a section of a game bird. Maybe she would be able to eat nicely after all!

After all, Sunshine wasn't totally a non-Omega. She still had Omega duties while Moon was on High Watch! So maybe Alpha would be merciful…

Meanwhile, Sunshine was glancing around nervously, trying not to meet Alpha's very unmerciful gaze. Moon didn't know why Alpha was acting like this, Alpha was usually so nice!

Sunshine took a tiny section of the bird's wing, and ran back to her spot to eat. "Th-thank you Alpha." Said Sunshine, "But I'm full. Really!"

"No, you're not." Said Alpha.

"No, really." Said Sunshine. "I'm a small dog. I don't need a ton of food! I even ate only a little when I was with my longpaw-"

"I said eat!" snapped Alpha, "Moon knows what she did, and bad dogs deserve to be punished! The one time you get to eat well, Sunshine, do it, or I will punish you, too!"

Moon was shocked. Not just was this completely out of Alpha's character, but what would happen to Sunshine? She said 'punished too' implying Moon would still be punished. There was no rank below the Omega rank Moon had been given, so what _would_ happen to Sunshine?!

Sunshine yelped, probably having the same thought. She quickly grabbed the whole game bird, and raced back to her spot, eating it as fast as she could. Poor Sunshine. Her muzzle drooped with guilt. The one night she got to eat well, and she couldn't even enjoy it. Meanwhile, there was only a mouse left for Moon, and she felt cold and alone without Mickey beside her.

"Alpha," said Moon, "I think it's time I told you-"

"Silence!" ordered Alpha, "Eat now, Omega, or I'll give that scrawny mouse to Omega too!"

In fear of eating absolutely nothing and nourishing her pups in no way, she quickly gobbled down the scrawny, dirty mouse, and slunk off.

Storm watched Moon go, in utter distress. Why would Alpha and Beta treat Moon so poorly?! They had to know Moon wasn't guilty! This was so wrong! Storm growled. Forget searching for clues, she'd stick it to Alpha and Beta herself!

"Alpha! Beta!" she cried, "This is wrong! You know Moon would never do such a thing! Why are you punishing her?!"

Alpha sighed, suddenly looking sad. "Storm, of course we know Moon isn't responsible."

Storm's jaw dropped. "Then what's the point of punishing her?!"

Alpha sighed, and turned to her mate. "Do you want to explain to her?"

Beta nodded, and turned to Storm. "How about we have a little chat."

Storm treaded over to her Beta's side, and soon the two were walking out of the den. "Lucky?" Storm asked, softly.

Lucky sighed. "I know what we're doing feels wrong, but we have to."

Storm whimpered. "But she's innocent!" Storm wanted to add, 'and pregnant' but decided against it. It was Moon's choice whether or not to tell.

"Of course she is." Said Lucky, "But can't you see someone from Twitch's pack is setting her up? Someone who feels undervalued and out of place?"

Storm flattened her ears, and turned away. Anyone who would do that to another dog deserved to feel undervalued and out of place.

"If we gave Moon the benefit of the doubt," continued Lucky, "Then what? What if someone from Twitch's pack stole food? Would they expect the benefit of the doubt? A pack needs rules, and a strong leader. Say Alpha didn't give Twitch's pack mate the benefit of the doubt. That would prove Alpha has bias! And then we'd just be creating another Storm of Dogs. Do you want that? A war in our own pack?"

Storm shuddered. The thought of another great war was horrifying. But so was framing Moon. "I understand." Muttered Storm, "But it feels so wrong."

Lucky nodded, and gently nuzzled Storm. "I know it does, but we need to stay strong. Alpha has everything under control, alright?"

"Alright…" said Storm, though she didn't sound totally sure.

"Not to mention, there's already a team of dogs searching for clues." Said Lucky.

"I know." Grunted Storm, "I'm one of them." With that, she turned tail, and raced back to Mickey. He was currently handing out orders of where to search.

Lucky couldn't help but be confused. Why was _he_ so concerned about Moon? Wasn't he Snap's mate? Then it dawned on Lucky that Snap had been nuzzling up to Twitch. His maw dropped, and he stared on. Mickey was Moon's mate. He couldn't help but feel like he betrayed his friend.

Still, he couldn't help but feel proud of Storm, and focused his attention on those feelings. The dog he'd raised personally from puppyhood, ever since her mother died in the Fierce Dog Garden, was not the savage animal everyone had thought she would be. She was a kind, caring, and compassionate young lady-dog, who put others before herself and had her own opinions, broad ones at that. And now she was in a patrol to help another dog, with no benefit to herself. Lucky glowed. Storm was one amazing pup.

 **That night…**

Moon sighed, and dragged herself on weary paws towards the pack's camp. It was dawn all right, and the only dogs up were those on the night watch.

As she passed the mountain, she could barely make out Storm pacing in her cave. She probably was upset no one had found anything to help Moon. Moon sighed. She'd better thank Storm in the morning, so she didn't feel like a failure.

Moon turned her snout up to where Mickey's den was. She was surprised when she saw Mickey staring out the entrance, right back at her. _He couldn't sleep without me…_

After the long day, trying to keep her footing on the High Watches, scrabbling on slippery stone, battered by rain, and only fed a tiny proportion, Moon wanted nothing more than to flop down on a raccoon-pelt laid out by Sunshine in her den, and sleep. But no, it was at that moment she remembered her sleeping arrangements in Sunshine's tiny log.

She could barely squeeze herself in, and her legs were flexed in an uncomfortable position, her knees grazing the top of the log, irritating them. All she wanted was Mickey, but she knew Mickey would be in trouble if he tried to come down. (Which she'd seen him try to do, before she waved him away.)

Unfortunately, the rain that had battered her was back, and the log had many holes. Soon, the bark was damp, and she felt like she was sleeping inside a roll of wet moss. No wonder Sunshine was so dirty! She made a mental note to commend Sunshine for working under such hard conditions.

Moon sighed, and tried to sleep, as she shivered, wet, as the breeze went by. It would be a loooooong night.

 **Aww! Poor Moon! Though, I stuck to book 7 in this chapter, I feel so bad! Moon's becoming my favorite Survivor dog! XD! Well, anyway, did you like the OCs? I hope you liked Endstone, Snowfall! Well, anyway, I'm making a list of OCs for you now, so, bye! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **OC Glossary**

 **Boji: White husky with blue eyes, healer, kind and even tempered, well respected, fourth-in-command. (My own OC)**

 **Fang: German Shepherd with golden eyes, hunter, aggressive and ill-tempered, protective of Boji, loyal, eight-in-command. (My own OC)**

 **Stan: White shepherd/husky mix with brown and black spots, intelligent, kind, friend of Moon's. (Nod to Dog With a Blog)**

 **Endstone: Black and gold dog, friendly, great hunter, loves being in a pack, best friend to Bandit. (Snowfall's OC)**

 **Bandit: Female German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix, fierce and aggressive but loyal and kind to those she trusts, once lived with the longpaw 'Jordan', best friend to Endstone, close friend to Blizzard and Blaze. (TeamTLKandBaltoCrew's OC)**

 **Blaze: White husky with red marking, parts of tail are orange, personality is adventurous, carefree, and kind, brother of Blizzard. (TeamTLKandBaltoCrew's OC)**

 **Blizzard: White husky with blue markings and blue eyes, parts of tail are dark and pale blue, sly, friendly, and courageous, sister of Blaze. (TeamTLKandBaltoCrew's OC)**

 **Axel: Male, strong, kind, caring, reckless, protective first-born litter-brother of Blix and Chaser, grey and white with orange eyes. (Nod to Palace Puppies)**

 **Blix: Female, quick, gentle, and loving, second-born litter-sister of Axel and Chaser, bluish-grey and white with blue eyes, very pretty. (Nod to Palace Puppies)**

 **Chaser: Male, smart, observant, cocky, stubborn, loyal, and loving, runty last-born litter-brother of Axel and Blix, black and white with green eyes. (Nod to Palace Puppies)**

 **Axel, Blix, and Chaser additional info: Okay, facts for y'all! Chaser's name from Palace Puppies is just Chase, but I changed it to Chaser since there's already a Chase in survivors!**

 **Also, in Palace Puppies, Axel and Blix are boys, and Chase is a girl! I changed that for…my own reasons. ;)!**

 **Supposedly, in this story, Axel, Blix, and Chaser lost their mom in an ice storm, while she was using her body to warm them. She died trying to keep them alive. When the storm was over, they sought help, and came across Sweet's pack. After it was explained to them that their mom was dead and they had no place to go, they joined the pack. So, supposedly, they and their mother were lone dogs before joining the pack.**

 **Axel, Blix, and Chase are my favorite Palace Puppies characters, even if they only showed up once! I decided to add them, because this being one of my favorite stories to write, I try to do whatever it takes to make myself happy while writing, and adding them was one of my little joys!**


	4. M is for Menacing

**I DON'T NEED ANYMORE OC'S! Just want to put that out there. I will use all OCs I've been given, but that's it, okay? If I need OCs in the future, I'll make them myself, or ask others personally. Otherwise, I'm good for now. Okay, now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy seeing the new OCs I did use!**

 **Okay, I'm really sorry to say, but I have WAY too many reviews to respond to, and no time in the day. So I'll just make a list of names, and I'd like to thank you all for your reviews! :)! You're so sweet! I used your OCs, too!**

 **TTLKABC, Snowfall, Mc doge girl, Fan fic fanatic, ToyloverteamTTL, Fizz G, Mya Jain, 55 fighter, Dandadie, Briarfrost**

 **A few special notes:**

 **To Fan fic fanatic: That's so kind! I'm so happy to have people so nice to me!**

 **Mc doge girl: THANK YOU.**

 **Anyone who gave me an OC: They were slightly altered for the sake of the plot. I hope you still like them!**

 **Okay, I should've just made a list yesterday, when I SHOULD'VE published this. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

Moon yawned, stretched, and headed for the High Watches before the sun-dog rose. If she was good, and obeyed her Alpha, perhaps performing the task to her very best abilities, her sentence would be shortened. Maybe _then_ she could share a den with Mickey, and properly nurse her pups. She just wished Alpha would give her a chance to speak!

Moon got to the top of the Watches, and shivered. The wind blew so fiercely, and she didn't have a thick undercoat. Twice she had to grip the ground tight with her paws to keep from falling off the Watches!

An hour later, Storm came over. "Moon, are you okay?" she looked at Moon's already larger belly, and sighed.

"Storm, I'll be fine…" Moon said, softly.

"But you look so cold!" whined the Fierce Dog.

"I'll be...okay." said Moon. She didn't bring up that with Storm's tightly packed, thin coat, she probably felt the cold twice as strongly.

Storm nodded, politely. "Would you like me to watch with you? You know, just in case? If anything happens, or if you feel the pups, I want to be there so-"

"Thank you, I'd love that." interrupted Moon. She didn't want to think of the potential disasters Storm could come up with.

They were only sitting there for a moment, when Moon raised her nose to the win. "Dogs! Dogs are coming!"

Storm's attention immediately snapped towards the ground level. It was true! About seventy dog-lengths away, what appeared to be a small pack was trying to enter the territory.

"Storm!" yelped Moon, "I'll get Alpha! You round up those dogs!" Storm nodded, and raced off. Moon knew the Fierce Dog would be fine alone, with her sharp teeth and claws, and large, rippling muscles. Moon only hoped the dogs wouldn't put up a huge fight. She didn't want Storm to get hurt, because then she couldn't hunt. Moon would need all the food she could get…

Putting that note aside, Moon raced down the mountain, and back towards pack territory. "Alpha!" she cried, running into the Alpha den.

"What is the meaning of this, Omega?" snapped Alpha, "Why do you wake me?!"

"Dogs!" panted Moon, "D-dogs are o-on the way!"

"Alert the hunters!" barked Lucky, "I'll tell Dart later to have a talk with the patrols about sniffing out threats."

"I knew putting you on the Watches was a good idea." whispered Alpha, with a wink.

Moon's eyes widened in surprise. Of course Alpha had a plan all along. She always did, especially now that she was with Lucky.

"Hunters!" howled Moon, running back down the mountain, "Scouts! Patrols! Everyone! There's dogs!"

All the dogs rushed out of their dens, and assembled at the bottom of the mountain, awaiting orders. Even Axel, Blix, and Chaser came, even though they were pups. No one wanted to miss this.

"Okay, all dogs, line up in order of rank." Commanded Beta. Alpha panted beside him, leaning on him for support. Her belly was so large it looked like she was about to pop! Those pups were coming _soon_.

All the dogs scrambled to do as Lucky said. Soon, there was a line from left to right of Boji, Snap, Bruno, Bandit, Fang, Endstone, Bella, Mickey, Blaze, Blizzard, Storm, Arrow, Stan, Woody, Daisy, Rake, Axel, Blix, Chaser, Dart, Breeze, Chase, Beetle, Thorn, Ruff, Sunshine, and finally Moon. Twitch stayed to the front beside Alpha and Beta, or as he was now called, Third Dog.

"Good." Said Beta. "Here's how we're going to arrange this. Alpha and I will be at the front. Third Dog will bring up the rear, and make sure we have no attacks from behind." Beta looked pointedly at the space where Third Dog's leg _would_ have been, if he hadn't chewed it off. He didn't want Third Dog to get hurt. "Boji, as healer, I recommend you stay in the shadows, so you can heal any injured dogs. If things get too hectic, though, use that calm voice on them."

Boji nodded, and smiled, moving to the side.

"In the front, we'll have Snap, Bruno, Bandit, Fang, Endstone, Blaze, Blizzard, Storm and Arrow. They're the strongest. Behind them, we'll have our fast dogs, Bella, Mickey, Stan, Woody, Daisy, and Rake. Behind them, we'll keep the pups, Axel, Blix, and Chaser, safe. Storm, I want you to keep an eye on them." Storm nodded in agreement. "Finally, the patrols can be behind the pups, keeping them safe. Omega can stay with Boji." Beta eyed the small dog, knowing that'd be safest. "Boji, look out for her, if necessary. And Moo-err, Omega…" said Beta, taking a deep breath. "I…I want you to go with the fast dogs."

"What?!" barked Rake, "But she's-"

"Fast." Finished Beta, "No matter what rank, she's fast, and that's what matters."

"That's not-" continued Rake.

"Say everyone's fighting," interrupted Beta, "And you're in trouble, and Moon's the only one to help. Would ranking matter to you _then_?"

"But that's-" Rake barked.

"ENOUGH!" boomed Beta, "I am your Beta, and what I say goes! Unless you wish to challenge me, Rake, then hush!"

Rake whined, and looked away, though still grumbling under his breath.

"Formation, everyone!" barked Beta, "They're coming!"

"Um, Lucky?" muttered Storm, "There's something I forgot to tell you…"

"Not now!" barked Beta.

"But it's kind of important…" said Storm.

"Hush, Storm!" snapped Beta.

The dogs stood, in silence, as the foreign dogs approached. They were panting, and looked disoriented. But…there were only four dogs. And two were pups. One was an elder. Storm shot Beta a look. "Is this what you wanted to tell me about?" whispered Beta.

"Yup." Grunted Storm. In the chaos, she hadn't been given a chance to speak.

Despite clearly being outnumbered, the four dogs confrontationally faced the pack. Clearly they didn't want to, though, because their legs were trembling. Maybe they were trained to…

"State your business!" snapped Bandit, growling low in her throat.

Cleverly, to show they meant no harm, the elder-dog came forward. "I'm Moonstone." She said. "We mean your pack no harm, but-"

"Help us!" one of the pups, the male, screeched.

"We're fugitants!" howled the female.

"Fugit _ives_." Muttered the Fight-dog with them, who was making Alpha's pack wary.

"What is the meaning of this?!" snapped Beta, raising his chin and tail, and puffing out his chest to show rank. "We have marked this territory. It is _ours_. Leave now or we force you to go."

The elder, Moonstone, signaled to her small pack to lower their tails. Good move, to acknowledge Lucky's rank. "There's a lot to explain." Said Moonstone. "To put it short, our old pack was evil. We're the only good dogs from the pack, and we left, because we're as good as dead there."

"Where's your mother, pups?" asked Moon, concerned. She couldn't help but worry about pups. "Your brothers? Sisters?" It was uncommon for only two pups to be born at once.

The black and grey male suddenly wailed. "Our mother was evil!" he sobbed.

The white and grey female started to cry, too. "Our pack only wants big, strong dogs! Alphas! With one supreme alpha!"

"We were the only pups deemed 'big enough' to live!" sobbed the male.

"Runt! My baby litter brother! He was so small, and the moment I saw him, I knew I'd take care of him! But after a week of our eyes being open and him not growing, mom…mom…" whimpered the female.

"Mom ate him!" howled the male. "She ate _all_ our litter siblings! She said they weren't alphas!"

Alpha's pack gasped, horrified by the hideous deed. How could a dog practice such cannibalistic behavior?!

"Hold up!" barked Beta. "We're going to take you back to our den-for now. We'll talk, and see how we can help, IF we can. If you're too much of a threat, you go. You got that?"

All four dogs nodded, as Beta eyed the large male. "How do we know we can trust him?" he barked.

"Tornado is my son." Barked Moonstone, proudly, "I raised him right." No one dared to ask what happened to her other pups, but Moonstone answered, anyway. "My alpha ate the others…"

The dogs had assembled in the Gathering Hall (a warm cave with a rock outcropping above a large, open area where Alpha and Beta sat to give announcements.) with Moonstone, Tornado, and the pups (whose names had been learned to be Thunder Dash and Lightning Dash.) in the center of the cave. The pack gathered around them, in order of rank. Unfortunately, Moon was behind all her packmates, and could hardly see.

"I do believe I should explain." Suggested Moonstone.

Alpha nodded. "It seems that'd be best."

Moonstone sighed. "My pack, as they're called, the Dark Forest Pack, are evil dogs with evil intentions. They want a pack of all strong dogs. The Alpha is a wolf named Bonecrunch." All the dogs gasped. Even if their previous Alpha had been a half-wolf, no one had _ever_ heard of a _wolf_ leading a dog pack. "His Betas, he has multiple, are all half wolves. Either they cross with German Shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers, or Pit Bulls. That's all he'll satisfy for. He only accepts big dogs. I was low in rank for being a Husky/Golden Retriever. But I'm a clever actor, you see, and pretended to be so loyal to him he couldn't possible eat me. You see, his favorite snack are dogs…" Once again, the dogs gasped. "Things were one…bearable. Never good, but never so horrible. Once, Bonecrunch was content to terrorize his own pack, but now he's believing the earth-dog belongs to him! A pack of fierce-dogs came to him a while back, and have been spreading crazy ideas! They say he's in charge of all, and he's above the earth-dog! They even spread their own stories of spirit-dogs, such as the Fear-Dog, which they claim rules over the pack, and, as they call her, 'Great Mistress Blade, the dog of Battle.'"

Beta gulped. "Blade? Did one of these fierce-dogs happen to be named 'Mace?'"

Moonstone thought for a moment. "Yes, the fierce-dog leader. Why, do you know him?"

Beta gulped, again. "If Mace is involved, this could spell trouble for every dog surviving!"

Moonstone nodded. "I know, I have the scars to prove it."

"Come on." Said Beta, "We're taking you to our pack, for now. We must discuss this, then make a decision."

The dogs turned to go, followed by the large new dog, that was making Alpha's pack uneasy. "How do we know-" barked Beta, uncertainly.

Moonstone winked, and knowing look in her blue eyes. "Tornado's my son. I raised him well."

Soon, all the dogs had gathered in the Gathering Hall (a warm cave with a rock outcropping Alpha and Beta sit on to give announcements to the pack.) with Moonstone, Tornado, and the pups (whose names had been learned to be Lightning and Thunder Dash) sitting in the open center. The pack gathered around, in order of rank. Unfortunately, that meant Moon was at the back of the pack, and could hardly see.

"We came to warn you." Said Moonstone. "Our pack is on the way, and they want to obliterate you."

"Do they know of us?!" barked Beta, worried.

"No, they want to obliterate all packs in general." Said Moonstone, "I learned of you through one of your scent markings, which was near our territory. I marked it, to cover up your scent."

Beta nodded. "But they will find you." Continued Moonstone. "And you must leave, or they will fight." She sighed, "I had to run away. If my secret was out, I'd be as good as dead. And the pups…I don't want them raised to be evil…"

"We could never be evil!" howled Thunder, "We watched our litter-siblings get killed! We would never follow such a path!"

"We loved them!" howled Lightning, "And now they're gone…"

Moonstone sighed. "Of course, I meant to say, I wouldn't want them hurt."

"Then we must leave." Said Beta.

"Wait!" howled Moon, "We have to take them with us!"

"Mind your place, Omega!" barked Alpha, "That is Beta and my decision!" Moon slunk to the back of the pack, again.

Beta sighed, and turned to Alpha. "They will die without us."

"I know." Said Alpha, "But how can we tell if they're loyal?"

"They have much information about their pack." Said Beta, "We could keep an eye on them. And what if they have more information to help us?"

"Every pup deserves a chance at life." Continued Beta, eyeing Alpha's stomach.

"Yes!" whined Moonstone, "If you can't take Tornado and me, at least take the pups!"

Alpha sighed, and looked over the outcropping. "You may all stay, for now."

Tornado and Moonstone smiled, and nodded, smart enough to know not to show too much joy. Unfortunately, the pups being pups, jumped around with joy, yipping happily.

"Yay! Finally a girl dog to play with!" yapped Blix.

"But we'll need to come up with some ranks." Continued Alpha. "Moonstone, being that you're an elder, maybe Boji could teach you the art of healing?"

Boji nodded. "I will train her immediately." Boji then led Moonstone away.

"Tornado." Said Beta, "You look like you could be a fine hunter." Tornado nodded, and raised his tail with pride. "But we must start you at a lower rank, as is pack custom. How about…one rank below Blizzard." It was reasonable. Storm still had to fight for a higher rank, and Arrow was still serving his punishment for working with the fierce-dogs. "You may fight for a higher rank, if you desire, after a turn of the moon-dog."

Tornado nodded, and sniffed around, searching for the dog known as 'Blizzard.'

When he found the scent, his tail couldn't stop wagging at the sight of the beautiful female. "Hello." He said, "I am Tornado."

Blizzard smiled. "I know, silly!"

Luckily, Tornado had fur, so no one could see his blush. "I knew that."

"Alright, alright." Growled Blaze, "Let's break up…" he eyed Tornado, "Whatever that is."

"But Blaze," whined Blizzard, "Shouldn't I…show Tornado around?"

"No!" barked Blaze. "I will! And I'll teach him the rules!"

"Alpha already told me the rules!" protested Tornado.

"No, my personal 'stay five dog-lengths away from my sister' rule!" growled Blaze, leading Tornado away.

"Pack, gather around." Said Alpha, once Boji, Moonstone, Blizzard, Blaze, and Tornado had left. "Pups, go to the pup den." Axel, Blix, and Chaser nodded, and led Thunder and Lightning to the den.

"Pack, this is very serious." Barked Beta, "It sounds like the new enemy is twice as powerful as the fierce dog pack."

"But the fierce dogs are among them!" barked Sunshine, in panic, "We _know_ they're more powerful than the fierce-dog pack!"

"And now there's wolves involved!" barked Dart.

"And pups…" whined Alpha.

Mickey silently vowed he's protect his own pups with his life, if necessary.

"As pack, I must tell you this will be a hard journey." Said Beta, "We have pups that might be born on the trail. Even if we don't find permanent territory, we might need to stay somewhere for a long time. But it's that, or get eaten alive by a rebel pack."

"What if the rebel pack tries to separate us?" asked Bandit.

Beta didn't want to bring that up, but it was a valuable point. The rebel pack might find value in dogs like Arrow, Storm, Bandit, and Bruno. Whatever happens, we fight. We can't let the pack separate us. Without Pack, we have nothing."

All the dogs nodded in agreement. Of all the things they disagreed about, the importance of pack meant everything to all of them.

Storm walked into the pup den, and let out a bark, to alert the pups she was there. It was hard to believe her, herself, had once been their age. She wasn't that much older, but it still felt like a decade…

Storm had always liked watching the pups, because they were so roly-poly and fun to be around. Also, they happened to be a great way to pick up information, because they just couldn't seem to keep their yappers shut.

At that moment, Thunder Dash was telling a story of some large reptile he encountered while on the trail to their pack. "So there I was." Barked Thunder Dash, "It was me, against a giant scaly creature! Lightning, Moonstone, and Tornado were too afraid to move!" Storm highly doubted that, but who was she to ruin the pup's fun?

"Oh, Thunder, it must've been so scary!" barked Blix.

"It was." Said Thunder, "But I don't let a little thing like fear get me down."

"What did you do?!" barked Blix, in shock.

"I bit that thing on his tail!" barked Thunder, jumping around like his story was a message from the sun-dog himself, "I wrestled that thing to the ground, and wrapped its tail around its neck, and pulled until it collapsed!"

"Oh, Thunder, you are sooo brave!" cooed Blix.

Lightning rolled her eyes, and walked with Chaser to the other side of the cave. "It was a gecko." She said, "And Thunder bolted for the trees. Tornado was the one to toss that _little_ thing aside."

"Not true!" barked Thunder, from the other side of the cave.

"I'm sure Thunder is telling the truth." Purred Blix, "He has such a trusting face."

Storm rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Oh Blix, you flirt with every male pup!"

"You make it sound like there's a lot!" whined Blix.

"Yeah, every pack that passes through our territory, you inspect." Chuckled Axel.

Blix sighed, and her mood suddenly grew gloomy. "I really don't want to leave this territory. It's so wonderful!"

Storm sighed. "I know, pups, but we have to. It's the only way we can protect from the enemy pack."

Later in the day, once the pups had gone to sleep, Storm went back to searching around for clues of Moon's innocence. She inspected Moon's old den, and the place where the food was hidden. "Hmm…" she muttered to herself, sniffing around. There was a scent of old meat leading from the food storage to Moon's den.

"Wait." She whispered. "The scent is low to the ground, like it's been dragged…" She gasped. "Moon's a big dog! She wouldn't need to drag meat, she could carry it!"

Suddenly, two dogs approached her, as though they'd been spying. "So." Said Rake, "You know our little secret.

Woody snarled, and took a threatening step closer.

"How dare you frame Moon!" barked Storm, "You have no pack honor!"

Rake snarled, and lunged at her, before jumping back. "We did this for our alpha, Twitch!"

"Twitch isn't your alpha!" growled Storm, "When will you be able to see that!?"

"Lies!" snarled Woody, "Twitch is our one and only alpha! He is more worthy of being patrol leader than Moon!"

"But Twitch is promoted, now!" snapped Storm, "Who do you need to keep holding Moon responsible?!"

"Because." Snapped Rake, rolling his eyes as if the answer were obvious, "We can't just give ourselves up or we'll take the punishment."

Well, yeah. Storm wanted to nip her own tail for asking such a stupid question.

"But you're never going to find out what happens." Growled Woody, stalking closer.

Storm snarled, and lowered her head, baring her teeth. Woody was stupid if he thought he could take her on. But as Rake approached from behind, Storm knew she couldn't fight both at once…

Before she could react, Rake sprang at her ear, the one that wasn't torn, and bit down hard. Storm yelped, and tried to shake him off. She was about to raise a leg to try to kick him off, when Woody bit into the leg! Storm yowled, and rolled onto her side, protecting her stomach, but also throwing off Woody and Rake.

"What has gotten into you two?!" howled Storm, "We're pack, remember?!"

"No, we aren't!" snarled Woody. "Breeze and Whisper and Chase and Twitch, _they_ are our pack. _You_ aren't."

"We owe you nothing." Snapped Rake.

"Let that go!" yowled Storm.

"It's your fault Whisper died!" accused Woody. "You deserve to die!"

Rake, at once, bit down on her muzzle, shutting it, as she was still laying on the ground. Storm couldn't even bark in protest, as Woody sent a long scratch down her flank. She shook hard, but the dogs held strong, and the blood draining from her side was making her dizzy…

"What is the meaning of this?!" howled Beta, running closer. "You attacked your own pack mate?! Why?!"

"Moon…food…innocent…" Storm choked out.

"Storm? Storm!" barked Beta, "We need to get you to Boji!"

"No…Moon's innocent…" Storm repeated, before letting her head thunked to the ground.

"She'll be okay." Muttered Beta, before barking orders. "Mickey, deliver news of Moon's innocence to Moon, Alpha will make the real verdict later. Arrow, bring Storm to Boji!" Mickey and Arrow nodded, dutifully, before going about their duties. Then Beta turned his cruel gaze upon Rake and Woody. "You two, there'll be _severe_ consequences for your actions.

"Moon!" howled Mickey, joyously, as he ran up the mountain, "You're innocent! Well, Alpha hasn't decided yet, but she can't deny the new evidence, especially with Woody and Rake's behavior…Moon?"

Moon had dropped on her side, panting heavily. "M-Mickey…" she whined.

"Moon!" howled Mickey, dropping beside his mate.

"A pup…is on its way…" she whispered, "I'm so tired…"

"But you're early!" barked Mickey.

"It doesn't matter." Said Moon, "My pup is coming, and it's coming NOW!"

 **Whoa! That's a lot to take in, ain't it? Moon's pup is about to be born, Storm got attacked, and a rebel pack is on the way! Okay, about the rebel pack, a lot of you suggested I make an 'evil pack', and at first I was like, 'Nah…' but then I started to get ideas, and well, here I am. To answer a question, the evil pack won't know Moon personally. Also, it IS Woody and Rake who framed Moon, not the bad pack. But you'll hear more from them soon!**

 **OC Glossary:**

 **Tornado: Grey and black border collie/German shepherd mix. Fierce, protective, loyal, and loves to fight against enemies. Interested in Blizzard, though Blaze isn't pleased. (;)) Former member of the rival pack, son of Moonstone. (Fizz G's OC)**

 **Moonstone: White golden retriever/husky mix with pale blue eyes. Wise elder, kind and loyal. Former member of the rival pack, mother of Tornado, caregiver of Thunder and Lightning. (Mya Jains' OC)**

 **Thunder Dash: Black and grey collie/husky mix with hints of a bluish color. Fun, adventurous, loyal, and competitive pup with his eyes on Blix. (55fighter's OC)**

 **Lightning Dash: White and grey collie/husky mix with hints of a yellow color. Loyal, fun, dare devilish and competitive pup who likes to tease Thunder about his crush. (55fighter's OC)**

 **Evil pack OCs:**

 **Okay, here's a few named dogs from the evil pack. Most probably won't have a very significant role.**

 **Bone Crunch: Evil wolf, leader of the Dark Forest pack. Little known about him, besides that he's evil, terrorizes his pack, and wants to destroy all other packs, taking every strong dog for himself. (55fighter's OC)**

 **Nightingale: Evil half wolf/half Doberman. Evil, clingy, ferocious, and bitter. Bone Crunch's mate. Very jealous, and oppressive of the female dogs she sees as threats to her authority (and vanity.)**

 **Rosko: Half wolf/half Pit Bull. Bone Crunch's loyal second-in-command. Evil, sneaky, and angry dog.**

 **Shadowfang: Half Doberman/half German shepherd, hunter in rank, secretly wants to become leader. Angry, bitter, treasonous, and bad-tempered.**

 **Malice: Half wolf/half Rottweiler, lesser-Beta, who is jealous of Rosko for being first-Beta. Has plans to kill Rosko. Angry, jealous, bitter, mean-spirited.**

 **No Name: Omega, was decreed by Bone Crunch to 'not deserve a name'. Runty half poodle/half shepherd mix with a bum leg. Often tormented by Bone Crunch. Only allowed in the pack to carry out lowly jobs, but cannot leave the pack. Depressed, weak, and low self-esteem are his traits.**

 **Other dogs: All fierce dogs from Blade's former pack.**


End file.
